By GEORGE MAHL

Week one and week two of the football playoffs featured some close games and some not so close games.

I guess the biggest surprise locally came from games involving Hahnville High School and Riverside Academy. The HHS Tigers, the defending 6-5A champions, received quite a scare in week one against St. Augustine High School. HHS survived, 45-44, in overtime against the Purple Knights, the 30th-seeded team.

The strange part about it is that Hahnville came back to defeat Airline High School, the 14th seed, 30-7, last Friday night. Some teams will leave fans scratching their heads wondering from week to week which team will show up. Lou Valdin, HHS head coach, told me you should never judge a team in the playoffs by its seed. I guess he was right.

Lutcher was another strange team to figure out in the playoffs. The regular season finale saw the Bulldogs drop a tough game to St. Charles Catholic. Then, the following week LHS plays its best game in a long time defeating Belle Chasse High School, 28-6. Finally, LHS plays a non-competitive game against St. James High School in losing 27-6.

How about those Riverside Academy Rebels? Some Rebels fans wanted to extinct Mickey Roussel’s team after a tough 1-4 start. Now, the Rebels find themselves playing the day after Thanksgiving. Outside of 3A power E.D. White falling in the first round, the biggest upset has got to be RA defeating previously undefeated Vidalia High School, the second seed in 2A, 41-20.

The reason the Rebels have made it this far may lie with experience. RA has averaged three playoff victories in each of the last 13 seasons. Out of the five teams from the River Parishes currently in the playoffs, the team that may have the best chance to win it all is West St. John High School. Coach Laury Dupont’s squad has blitzed through its first two games averaging 44 points a game.

I have some advice for anyone attending the Evangel-Destrehan game: Arrive early. Both sides of Fighting Wildcats Stadium will be full this Friday night. I have heard the attendance may approach 8,000-9,000.

Being that tomorrow is Thanksgiving, area coaches not only are thankful for their lives and the lives of their families, but I am sure they are thankful for the success their team has had this season.

GEORGE MAHL is a sportswriter for L’Observateur. He may be reached at 985-652-9545 or lobnews@bellsouth.net.